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Who Will Take Osama's Bait?

Today's news brings us a new audiotape, purported to be Osama bin Laden, offering a "truce" between al Quaeda and the United States. Al Jazeera (whom else?) aired excerpts of the tape. If you click this link (above) you can read Fox News' summary of the story.

"We do not mind offering you a truce that is fair and long-term. ... So we can build Iraq and Afghanistan ... there is no shame in this solution because it prevents wasting of billions of dollars ... to merchants of war."

"Based on what I have said, it is better not to fight the Muslims on their land," said the voice.

The voice promises more attacks on the United States and that the absence of any new attack since 2001 is simply "because there are operations that need preparations, and you will see them".

I am curious to see the forthcoming reaction to this tape among the political types here in the United States and in Europe.

Who is going to secure a truce with al Quaeda and stand before the news cameras, papers in hand, to declare "peace in our time"? Who is going to advocate that we stand down now that our terrorist foes have "seen the light and wish to come to the bargaining table"? Who will claim that this is America's chance to extract ourselves from the "quagmire that is Iraq"?

Who will be Neville Chamberlain and make a deal with the devil and then expect the devil to stand by his agreement?

Those with no stomach for the fight, those who think that political advantage can be gained by advocating that we "not sacrifice one more American soldier now that peace can achieved" will be among those pushing for this false peace. Someone will tell us we should "declare victory and go home".

Who will rise to Osama's bait?

My guess is Nancy Pelosi or Jaques Chirac, because those two never learned enough history not to repeat its mistakes.

What is the underlying message in this audiotape? What about this offer of a "fair and long term" truce from someone who has been as bloodthirsty, savage and indiscriminate in his killing of innocents as any tyrant in world history? Could it be that Osama has experienced an epiphany? That he is tired of the fight? That he now wishes to be a builder not a destroyer?

Don't you believe it.

Just as it was a mistake not to stop Hitler, a mistake to leave Saddam in power, it is a mistake to believe that Osama is giving up his jihad now.

Rather, we must finish the job that President Bush set out to do. What Osama is really telling us in this latest tape is that he is almost finished, that our response to 9/11 was more robust, more sustained, more effective than he first estimated. As my (more liberal) twin sister said shortly after September 11th: "They picked on the wrong cowboy". Yes, W is no Bill Clinton. And thank all that is good on this earth that W isn't Al Gore either.

The message on this tape tells me that Osama is on the run, disoriented, powerless and hopeless to regain his former strength. No doubt he finds it difficult to wage jihad from wherever he is hiding, without funding, without reliable communication, without deputies as they have been blown away at the dinner table in the dead of night, courtesy of US military drones.

What is needed at this point is a Winston Churchill. Someone who realizes that a job left unfinished will only come back to haunt civilized society. Terror must be torn out root and branch. We must not stop now that we have the advantage. Only sustained effort will ensure that global terrorism can be stopped. Osama's offer of a truce is only an attempt to persuade us to let him catch his breath.

Osama thinks we're stupid.

No doubt there are some who would label me a bloodthirsty, vengeful, paranoid neo-conservative whose only aim is to keep the populace scared and voting Republican. I would say to them that I am only interested in winning the war against Islamofascism... and we haven't won it yet.

Mr. President, finish the job. The world will thank you for it.-- Mike

7 Comments:

Mike Taylor is right on. Who can trust this man? A man who has no regrets, nay, a man who rejoices in the murder of civilians including women and children. This is a man we can trust? Who can guarantee that this man will keep his word? The UN? Will all terrorists listen to him and lay down their arms? Where is his guarantee? There are so many holes in this one it truly is a plea unto the stupid! That said, let's see how many leftists say we should take him up on his offer.

About Me

(ettubloge@yahoo.com) Neal is a former RI commercial fisherman (OK just a few trips) who went on to law school in NYC (passed the bar but should have stayed in RI as a fisherman), met a Brooklyn girl and married her (fuhgedaboudit) and is now a family man in NJ (how'd that happen?) who reacqainted himself with the wonders of individual liberty late in life. He devotes his free time to studying politics and economics, watching too much baseball, reading Philip Roth on the side and examining the hypocrisy of the ruling elites.